Dawson City murder victim identified as man from B.C.

Yukon RCMP say that the “suspicious death” of a B.C. man in downtown Dawson City last week is now being investigated as a homicide.

In a news release Monday, police identified the victim as 41-year-old Kevin Edward McGowan of Coquitlam.

McGowan’s death occurred in the “early hours” of April 30 in downtown Dawson. An autopsy performed in Vancouver on May 4 confirmed that his death was the result of a homicide.

The Yukon RCMP Major Crimes Unit is now leading the investigation.

Police have not released any information on suspects. Anyone with information related to McGowan’s death is asked to contact investigators.

Posts on social media show that a prayer circle was held at Dawson’s Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre on May 3 in McGowan’s memory. A memorial also appears to have been set up for McGowan downtown.

This is the territory’s second homicide of 2018. In February, 25-year-old Chelsey Tegan Bien was killed at an apartment building in Whitehorse. Lynzee Harriott Silverfox was charged with second-degree murder in relation to Bien’s death.